Thursday, November 28, 2013

Electronic cigarettes offer smokers an effective way to absorb nicotine into their bodies without inhaling actual smoke as they do with traditional cigarettes. Today we will examine the nicotine levels in traditional cigarettes versus the amount of nicotine found in some of the more popular brands of electronic cigarettes.

The typical electronic cigarette uses a cartomizer or cartridge that contains liquid nicotine dissolved in some other type of chemical, typically propylene glycol. The liquid is heated by a small battery and creates a vapor when the user inhales on the end of the electronic cigarette. Smokers find the sensation surprisingly similar to that of smoking an actual traditional cigarette.

One note that must be mentioned. When smoking a traditional cigarette, nicotine is absorbed into the body instantaneously. Within a few seconds a smoker will receive that ahhh sensation as he or she puffs away. With electronic cigarettes, the nicotine is not absorbed as quickly and so the sensation is not exactly the same. This is the reason many find it difficult to make the transition from traditional cigarette to electronic cigarette.

Is it healthier - we really don't know. We do know that traditional cigarettes will eventually kill you, that is 100% guaranteed. There is indisputable evidence that shows the damaging effects of smoking cigarettes. Since electronic cigarettes do not contain nearly the number of carcinogens, it can be assumed that they are safer. But only time will really tell. Today electronic cigarettes have been available for about 6 years and so far there has been no real evidence that suggests they are causing people any health issues, or believe me we would have heard about it. In fact the only new I can remember regarding electronic cigarette health was from a guy who claimed the battery in his electronic cigarette exploded in his mouth. Later it was found that the battery had been altered thus the reason for the failure.

Below are the nicotine levels of the most popular brands of electronic cigarettes.

As you can see, with the exception of the VUSE electronic cigarette most of the other popular brands on the market have very similar nicotine content levels. Keep in mind this is the amount of nicotine in the entire electronic cigarette. Most of these approximate that they are equal to 1 1/2 to 2 packs of cigarettes.

Now lets examine the nicotine content in traditional cigarettes. Below are the most popular traditional cigarettes listed by nicotine content and tar level. Remeber, electronic cigarettes do not contain tar.